Film tray



May 23 1967 F. F. TREIBER 3,321,078

FILM TRAY Filed Dec. l5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l 51 w71 w72 5f@ 43 Mlm May 23, 1967 F. F. TREIBER 3,321,078

FILM TRAY Filed Dec. 15, 1965 A 2 sheets-sheet 2 United States Patent Oiifice 3,321,078 FILM TRAY Fritz F. Treiber, Niles, lill., assigner to Corleydtiiller, lne., a corporation of (Ehio Filed Dee. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 513,166 9 Claims.. tCl. 26d- 74) This invention relates to a film tray for soft wrapping films and, more particularly, to a tray for soft films used with equipment for manual pre-wrapping of packages.

In Arvidson Patent No. 2,954,654, a wrapping method and apparatus is disclosed wherein a package to be wrapped is supported on a raised platform and a tray of film sheets is positioned beneath the platform. An operator, in pre-wrapping the package, places the package on the platform and then raises one corner of the sheet from the tray up over the package on the platform while an opposite corner of the sheet remains secured to the tray beneath the package until the sheet is placed about the package. The partially-wrapped package is then removed from the platform with the material partially wrapped therearound and this removal releases the retained sheet corner from the tray. With relatively thick sheets of wrapping material that are relatively slippery, it is easy for an operator to engage and raise the uppermost sheet of film in the tray and perform the wrapping operation disclosed in the aforesaid patent. A iilm material typical of this type is cellophane. More recently, other films, commonly known as sof films, have been used, which are extremely thin, soft and limp and one sheet does not slip easily with respect to another. With known equipment, it has been diliicult to handle a single sheet at a time and the structure disclosed herein overcomes the existing problems.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved film tray for use with soft films.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a lm tray for soft films in which the multicornered tray has a bottom with upstanding side walls for holding an aligned stack of soft film sheets with means at one corner of the tray for holding sheets in association with the tray and needle means at an opposite corner of the tray for releasably holding a number of sheets whereby an uppermost sheet can easily lbe grasped, separated from the sheet therebeneath and torn from the needle means, with the latter sheet being retained by the needle means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a film tray as defined in the preceding paragraph in which the needle means is yieldably-urged toward the tray bottom to impale a number of sheets and the tray bottom has means adjacent the needle means providing a raised projection to create `a shingling effect of the sheets in the stack and provide an abutment which an operator can push against as the uppermost sheet is fbeing grasped and released from the needle means.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a film tray as defined in the preceding paragraphs wherein the needle is formed as the end of a spring member urged toward the tray bottom with means movably mounting the spring member on the tray for elevation to facilitate placing a stack of sheets in the tray, the tray having means guiding the spring member and limiting the downward movement thereof to prevent movement of the needle below the level of the tray bottom, and a dimple in the tray bottom to prevent contact of the needle with the tray bottom; and wherein projections extend beneath the tray bottom defining guide means for the tray relative to a slot in a table on which the tray is movably supported.

Further objects and advantages will lbecome apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

3,321,078 Patented May 23, 1967 FIG: 1 is a plan View of the film tray shown in association with wrapping equipment including a wrapping machine and wrapping table, shown fragmentarily;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale, taken generally along the line 2-2 in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational View, looking soliarcll the side of the tray shown at the lower right in FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational View, looking to- 'lvsvIaCrd he side of the tray shown at the upper right in FIG. 5 is a plan view of an alternate embodiment of the film tray;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational View taken generally along the lines 6--6 in FIG. 5 and with the needle means shown in an alternate elevated position in broken line;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section, taken along the line 7-7 in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary section taken generally along the line 8-8 in FIG. 5.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and -will herein be described in detail an embodiment of the invention together with a modification thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention 'and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated. The scope of the invention will 'be pointed out in the appended claims.

The iilm tray is shown generally at 10 in FIG. l and is usable in a semi-automatic wrapping operation with a table 11 having a wrapping platform 12, a heat-sealing plate i3 and with a wrapping machine, indicated generally at i4. Reference may be made to Arvidson Patent No. 2,954,654 for a more complete disclosure of the entire wrapping method; however, for illustrative purposes, the following description is given herein.

The lm tray 10 holds a stack of pre-cut sheets of wrapping film in a location at the top of the table r11 with one corner of the tray underlying the platform l2 and with a package to be wrapped resting on top of the platform. An operator grasps a right-hand corner of the uppermost sheet of wrapping film, as viewed in FIG. 1, and brings the sheet upwardly over a package to have this corner 15 extend over and to the left of the package while the other corner of the film sheet is still secured to the tray at a location generally beneath the platform 12. The operator then grasps the package with the film overlying the package and withdraws the package from the platform, which simultaneously releases the corner of the lm from the tray. The corner 15 of the film is then wrapped beneath the package in overlapped relation with the corner that has last been freed from the tray and the overlapped dilm sections are moved across the hot plate i3 to complete the pre-wrap operation and the package is then moved to the wrapping machine to complete the wrapping operation in a known manner.

The tray 10 has a bottom plate 20 which, as shown, is generally square and has a pair of upstanding peripheral side walls 21 and 22 at right angles to each other delining two sides of the tray. Additionally, two flanges 23 and 24 are struck upwardly from the bottom plate 20 to form third and fourth sides for the tray, whereby a stack of sheets S can be located within the confines of the tray.

Impaling means are provided at one corner of the tray to hold a substantial number of sheets against movement within the tray. This impaling means includes a plate 30 located at one corner of the tray, which is the corner to be located beneath the wrapping platform 12. The plate 30 has a pair of pins 3l and 32 extending downwardly from the underside thereof. This structure, which is similar in d both forms oftray, is shown particularly in FIG. S in connection with the second embodiment. The plate 30 and the pins are spring-urged downwardly toward the tray bottom to engage and impale a number of sheets vby a pair of leaf springs 33 and 34 overlying edges of the bottom plate 20. The leaf springs are fastened at adjacent ends to the plate 36 by threaded members 35 and at their opposite ends are fastened to the tray bottom 20 -by rivet members 36 and 37. A -pair of openings 38 in the tray bottom coact with the pins, as shown in FIG. 8, to prevent contact of the pins with the tray bottom.

The structure described above is generally known in the art as typified by the structure shown in the Arvidson patent referred to above. This structure works well with relatively slippery thick sheets of wrapping film, such as cellophane. The use of soft films has become more popular and these films are not slippery and are extremely thin, so that it is difiicult to grasp and remove a single sheet from the tray in the absence of means for facilitaing the operation. For this purpose, the tray has needle means at a corner of the tray opposite the corner having the pin impaling means. This needle means pierces a number of sheets S at the upper part of the stack to hold the uppermost sheets in the stack while the top sheet is being removed. This needle means, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 tor4, comprises' a spring member 40 having a convolution intermediate its ends, as indicated at 41, wrapped about a mounting pin 42 on the side wall 22, with the major length of the spring member being parallel to the side wall 22 of the tray. A length 44 of the spring means overlies the tray bottom due to the curve 43. The length 44 has a downturned end 45, which is sharpened to provide a needle point 46. The opposite end of the spring member indicated at 47 engages against a pin 48 fitted in the wall 22 of the tray and the spring member is formed to urge the needle point 46 downwardly.

Means are provided to guide and limit the movement of the spring member, including a U-Shaped member 50 having legs 51 and S2 passing through the side wall 22 `and sec-ured thereto by suitable gripping washers 53. The guide member 5@ captures the spring member and is spaced from the side wall a distance sufficient to permit the spring member to loosely move relative to the side Wall with the lower leg 52 limiting downward movement of the needle, as shown in FIG. 3. The lower leg is positioned to permit the needle 46 to move to the level of the tray bottom and in order to prevent dulling of the needle point the tray bottom is downwardly dimpled, as indicated at 55 in FIG. 2, to prevent contact between the needle point and the tray. When it is desired to place a stack of sheets in the tray, the spring member 40 is raised to an elevated position, shown in broken line in FIG. 3, and is held in that position during loading. Positions of the needle point in holding sheets in the tray are shown in FIG. 2 wherein the needle point is at a low position, shown in broken lines, when few sheets are in the tray and in a higher position, as shown in full line, when a substantial number of sheets are in the tray.

When an operator commences a wrapping operation, the top sheet S is engaged by an operator in an area near the needle point and Zpulled free from the point to enable raising of the sheet over a package on the platform 12. The underlying sheet is thin and tends to adhere to the upper sheet. The underlying sheet is prevented from following the upper sheet by the needle point. To further facilitate removal of the top sheet, a pair of projections are formed in the tray bottom, as shown at 60 and 6l, which cause a shingling effect in the sheets, as viewed at the left-hand end of FIG. 2 and the projection 60 also provides an abutment against which the operator can push as the uppermost sheet is removed from the needle point by a slight pinching action by the operators hand.

It is necessary to initially align the tray relative to the package platform 12 and this is accomplished by interengaging guide means `which comprises a slot 'ifi in the top of the table 1l extending lengthwise of the table and surfaces on the tray which engage in the slot. The tray has downstruck projections 71 or 72 forming the surfaces which engage in the elongated slot 7ii to guide and align the tray relative to the table top.

A second embodiment of tray is shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 in which the parts corresponding to the tray shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4 have been given the same reference numeral with a prime affixed thereto.

In this embodiment, the stack of sheets S is supported in a tray in the same manner as previously described with the shingling effect obtained in the same fashion. The tray of the second embodiment differs in the manner in which the needle means is mounted, with the needle Si) being carried by a rigid arm 81 having an angled end S2 turned inwardly to overlie a corner of the tray and carrying the needle. The remainder of the arm is disposed outside the tray side wall 22. The arm 81 is pivotally mounted to the side wall 22 by a pivot bolt passing through the arm and the side wall. As shown in FIG. 6, the needle 80 pierces the sheet stack S by the weight of the arm 81 and the arm is free to descend as the height of the sheet stack lessens because the arm end 82 is free of obstruction by the side walls of the tray which terminate short of the corner. When it is desired to load a new stack of sheets into the tray, the arm 81 can lbe elevated and can be rotated 180 so that it is remote from the tray and the tray can be loaded with sheets without having to hold the arm during the loading operation. Ain opening in the tray bottom prevents contact of the needle with the tray bottom.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a film tray for soft films has been provided in which the sheets are pierced by members at two opposite corners, with one corner of the top sheet being removable from the sheets therebeneath which remain impalled, so that only a single sheet will be lifted from the tray to begin a wrapping operation. Without the means for retaining the sheets beneath the top sheet it is extremely difiicult to raise only a single sheet of soft film from the tray.

I claim:

1. A film tray for soft relatively non-slippery films comprising a bottom with upstanding lsurfaces for aligning a stack of soft film sheets -on the tray, impaling means at one corner of the tray piercing the stack of sheets to hold the sheets in association with the tray while permitting removal of successive sheets from the tray, land needle means at a corner of the tray opposite said first mentioned corner for piercing the sheets of the stack to hold sheets in position as an operator initially lifts the uppermost sheet from the stack by tearing thereof from said needle means While the uppermost sheet is still held by the impaling means.

2. A film tray as defined in claim 1 in which said needle means is urged toward the botto-m of the tray.

3. A film tray as defined in claim 2 wherein said tray bottom has `a raised surface of small area between said needle means and the impaling means at said one corner and adjacent the needle means to create a shingling effect on said stack of sheets merely by the weight of the 'stack and provide a projection to push against in `releasing a sheet from said needle means.

4. A film tray as defined in claim 1 wherein said needle means comprises a spring member having a needle point on an end thereof and means mounting the spring member on the tray whereby spring force urges the needle point toward the bottom of the tray.

5. A film tray as defined in claim 4 wherein said tray rbottom has a raised surface between said needle means Y and the impaling means at said one corner and adjacent the needle means to create a shingling effect on said stack of sheets and provide a projection to push against in releasing .a s'heet from said needle means, a dimple in said tray bo-ttom underlying the needle point, and means limiting downward movement of the spring member to a lowermost position at the level of the tray bottom t0 pierce `any sheet in the tray but still not contact the bottom because of the depression created by said dimple.

6. A lm tray as delined in claim 1 wherein said needle means includes a needle, an larm carrying said needle adjacent a rst end thereof, and means pivotally mounting said arm adjacent a second end thereof whereby the weight of said arm urges the needle toward the tray bottom and the arm can be pivoted to a position to place the needle at a remote location from the tray bottom while loading the tray with a stack of sheets.

7. A lm tray for holding sheets of soft, limp lm which are to be used individually in `wrapping a package which is placed on a platform above the package comprising, -a tray bottom with upst-anding walls for confining ya 'stack of sheets, pin means overlying one corner of the tray bottom which is adapted to rest beneath said platform, means urging `said pin means toward the tray bottom to impale the stack of sheets `and hold the uppermost sheet as it is lifted around a package on the Iplatform, a needle overlying the corner of the tray bottom opposite said one corner, and means urging the needle into the stack of sheets to pierce the sheets and hold t-he stack while the uppermost sheet is freed from the needle and raised toward the platform.

8. A lm tray as `delined in claim 7 wherein said tray bottom Ihas a raised surface of small area Aadjacent the needle 'for shingling the `sheets and providing an yabutment against which an operator can push to free the uppermost `sheet from the needle.

'9. A lm tray las defined in `claim -8 wherein said needle is formed as the end of a spring member, means movably mounting the spring member to the tray and -means -on the tray `guiding and limiting the movement of the spring member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,556,789 10/1925 Hardy 206--74 2,593,762 `4/1952 lJones l206m-74 2,903,261 9/ 1959 Stremke et al. y271--61 2,981,408 4/'1961 Gamble 206-73 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM T. DIXSON, I R., Examiner. 

1. A FILM TRAY FOR SOFT RELATIVELY NON-SLIPPERY FILMS COMPRISING A BOTTOM WITH UPSTANDING SURFACES FOR ALIGNING A STACK OF SOFT FILM SHEETS ON THE TRAY, IMPALING MEANS AT ONE CORNER OF THE TRAY PIERCING THE STACK OF SHEETS TO HOLD THE SHEETS IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE TRAY WHILE PERMITTING REMOVAL OF SUCCESSIVE SHEETS FROM THE TRAY, AND NEEDLE MEANS AT A CORNER OF THE TRAY OPPOSITE SAID FIRST MENTIONED CORNER FOR PIERCING THE SHEETS OF THE STACK TO HOLD SHEETS IN POSITION AS AN OPERATOR INITIALLY LIFTS THE UPPERMOST SHEET FROM THE STACK BY TEARING THEREOF FROM SAID NEEDLE MEANS WHILE THE UPPERMOST SHEET IS STILL HELD BY THE IMPALING MEANS. 